Integration and the Birth of a New Idea

When Lin Xiao returned to his dormitory, it was already late at night. He did not turn on the lights. Instead, he walked straight to the window and pulled open the curtains. The base lights glittered in the darkness, while welding sparks from the repair crews still flickered in the distance like fireflies that would never go out. He remembered Fletcher's words—the investigators from headquarters might arrive in a week, a month, or even tomorrow. Time had become uncertain, like a blade hanging over his head, with no telling when it would fall. He needed to act faster, to build a shield thick enough before that blade came down. The team had been formed, and the authority had been granted. What came next was real integration: planting an idea, cultivating new roots in this rotten soil. He turned around and powered on the data terminal. The cold glow of the screen illuminated his face. Surveillance records, personnel files, supply lists—countless streams of information scrolled across the display. And what he needed to do was find the hidden fish in that sea of information.

At six in the morning, the base wake-up call sounded right on schedule.

Lin Xiao had already washed up and stood before the mirror, straightening his uniform. The dark gray Hydra combat suit now bore a new armband on its left sleeve—a black shield-shaped insignia, crossed swords and a snake at its center, with the words "Deputy Security Supervisor" embroidered beneath in silver thread. The badge was new, its edges still somewhat sharp, leaving a distinct outline against the fabric.

He reached up to adjust his collar, his fingers brushing the skin of his neck. There was a faint scratch there, left by a sample creature's tentacle brushing against him in the laboratory last night. It had already scabbed over and felt rough to the touch.

At exactly seven, Lin Xiao pushed open the door to his new office.

The room was on the western side of the command center. It had originally belonged to some staff officer, but it had now been cleared out for his use. It was not large, about twenty square meters, but the location was excellent—the windows faced east, allowing the morning sunlight to spill in and spread a patch of gold across the floor. The air smelled of fresh paint mixed with the lingering scent of disinfectant.

There was a solid wood desk in the office, already equipped with a data terminal, encrypted communicator, and several documents. A row of metal filing cabinets stood against the wall, their doors tightly shut and their keyholes gleaming bronze. There was also a small conference table in the corner, surrounded by six chairs.

Lin Xiao walked behind the desk and sat down. The chair was leather, sinking slightly beneath him. It was far more comfortable than the rigid military chair in his dormitory. He turned on the data terminal, and the screen lit up with the login interface for B-level authorization.

He entered his password, and the system verified it.

More than a dozen windows appeared on the desktop—the base personnel roster, supply inventory, surveillance system logs, and recent mission reports. There was a huge amount of information, but Lin Xiao's eyes quickly settled on several key files.

He opened "Special Operations Team—Establishment Application" and began filling it out.

At eight thirty, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and five people entered the office one after another.

Su Ying walked in first. She had changed into black tactical gear, with a weapons belt around her waist carrying a Glock pistol and two tactical daggers. Her hair was tied into a neat ponytail, and she wore no makeup, but her gaze was sharp as a polished blade. Sunlight streamed in from behind her, casting a crisp shadow across the floor.

Wolf followed behind her. He was a tall, thin man around thirty, wearing black-rimmed glasses. His eyes behind the lenses were always half-lidded, as if he were watching something no one else could see. He wore ordinary gray work clothes and carried a black metal case labeled "Electronic Equipment—Precision Instruments."

Nightingale entered third. She looked barely over twenty, with short hair dyed dark purple and three silver studs in her ears. She wore an oversized hoodie and ripped jeans, entirely out of place amid the office's severe atmosphere, but dense lines of code scrolled across the tablet screen in her hands.

Grey Falcon was a short, burly middle-aged man with a scar running from the corner of his left eye all the way to his mouth. He wore the uniform of the base logistics department and carried a folder. As he entered, he instinctively swept his eyes over the room's layout, as though assessing its security.

Anna Koch came last. She was still wearing a white lab coat, though she had put on a dark jacket over it. Her face remained somewhat pale, but her gaze was steadier than yesterday. She clutched a thick notebook in her arms, her fingertips faintly white from gripping it too tightly.

The five of them stopped beside the conference table.

Lin Xiao rose from behind the desk and walked over to the table. The sunlight fell directly on his face, and he could feel its warmth against his skin.

"Sit."

The six of them sat around the table. Chair legs scraped softly across the floor.

Lin Xiao opened the folder on the table. Inside were five printed documents. He pushed one toward each person.

"These are your appointment letters and duty descriptions," he said. "Read them first. Ask questions afterward."

The room fell quiet, filled only with the rustling of turning pages.

Su Ying looked at her document. Its title read "Action Team Leader—Duties and Authority," followed by more than a dozen entries: responsible for the team's combat training, drafting battle plans, commanding field operations, evaluating members' combat capabilities... Her finger paused over the line that read "Commanding Field Operations," then she continued reading.

Wolf's document was titled "Head of Communications and Electronic Warfare." His duties included establishing an independent communications network, monitoring communication signals inside and outside the base, conducting electronic interference and counter-interference, and maintaining encrypted equipment... He adjusted his glasses, took out a pen from his pocket, and circled "Establish an Independent Communications Network."

Nightingale's document read "Head of Cybersecurity and Information Warfare." Her responsibilities were more technical: inspecting the base network for security vulnerabilities, establishing firewalls and anti-tracking systems, conducting network infiltration and information theft, analyzing the enemy's digital traces... Looking at those terms, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, as though she had found an interesting toy.

Grey Falcon's document was titled "Head of Logistics and Liaison." Its contents were varied: managing the team's supply allocation, maintaining internal relationships within the base, gathering intelligence from every department, coordinating cooperation with other units... His thick fingers moved over the page, his eyes focused as if committing every detail to memory.

Anna's document was titled "Head of Medical Support and Technical Analysis." Her responsibilities had been deliberately restricted to safe areas: providing battlefield medical support, analyzing non-biological technical materials, managing the team's health records, and assisting with non-hazardous samples... When she saw the qualifiers "non-biological" and "non-hazardous," her shoulders visibly relaxed.

Five minutes later, Lin Xiao spoke.

"Finished reading?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good." Lin Xiao leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Starting today, we are a team. Your responsibilities are clear, but there are a few things I need to emphasize."

His gaze passed over every face.

"First, efficiency. I do not need you reporting to me eight times a day, but every task assigned to you must be completed within the deadline. If you encounter difficulties, say so in advance. Do not wait until the last minute."

"Second, confidentiality. No information within the team is to be leaked to any third party. That includes your duties, our missions, and some of the... ideas I am about to discuss."

"Third, trust." Lin Xiao paused. "I know you come from different backgrounds and have different experiences. But in this team, you must trust one another. The action team needs to know what the communications team is doing, and logistics needs to understand the cybersecurity team's progress. If information does not flow, then a team is nothing more than a pile of loose sand."

He looked at Su Ying.

"Su Ying, action team training begins this afternoon. Within three days, I need you to complete combat capability assessments for every member of the team—including yourself. Draft a basic training plan focused on teamwork and squad tactics."

Su Ying nodded. "Understood."

"Wolf." Lin Xiao turned toward the tall, thin man. "Your first task is to establish a communications network independent of the base's main system within forty-eight hours. The frequencies must be encrypted, the signal concealed, and the coverage must include at least the base's core area and the surrounding five kilometers."

Wolf adjusted his glasses. "Not enough equipment."

"Make a list and give it to Grey Falcon," Lin Xiao said. "Grey Falcon, you are responsible for securing the supplies. If the base inventory does not have them, find another source. The budget is within B-level authorization, but remember, keep it low-key."

Grey Falcon rubbed the scar on his face. "Understood, sir."

"Nightingale." Lin Xiao looked at the purple-haired girl. "You have two tasks. First, conduct a full inspection of the base's existing cybersecurity system and identify every vulnerability and potential backdoor. Second, begin building our own firewall and monitoring software. I want to know about every piece of information moving through the base network."

Nightingale's eyes lit up. "Can I plant tracking code?"

"You can, but it must be hidden," Lin Xiao said. "If you get caught, explain it yourself."

The girl smiled, revealing a small canine tooth.

Anna was last.

"Dr. Anna." Lin Xiao's voice softened. "Your primary task is to organize all research materials from the laboratory—except anything related to biological samples. I need you to establish a technical archive, classify everything, and mark key information. At the same time, you will be responsible for the team's routine health checks once a week."

Anna gripped her notebook more tightly. "I'll do it well."

"Good." Lin Xiao sat up straight. "Now get to work. At two this afternoon, we will hold our first progress meeting here."

The five people rose and left.

The office fell quiet again. The sunlight had shifted onto the filing cabinets, and glaring spots of reflected light shone off the metal surfaces. Lin Xiao returned to his desk, opened the data terminal, and entered the base's primary database.

An authorization confirmation window appeared on the screen.

[B-level authorization activated. Accessible: Personnel Files (All), Mission Records (All), Surveillance Logs (All), Supply Lists (All), Communications Records (Encrypted sections require secondary verification)]

Lin Xiao clicked "Personnel Files."

The list expanded, with more than three hundred names scrolling past. Every name was followed by a position, department, date of entry, recent performance evaluation...

His fingers moved over the touchpad while his eyes swept rapidly across the entries.

He was looking for people like them—those with real talent who had been pushed aside, those dissatisfied but still worth winning over, or those who merely needed a little "hope" to change sides.

The first name entered his sight.

Eric Sanders, Level Two Engineer, Technical Department, thirty-two years old. Specialty: electronic equipment repair and modification. Recent evaluation: low work efficiency, tense relations with colleagues. Notes: submitted equipment upgrade proposals on multiple occasions, all rejected.

Lin Xiao opened the detailed file.

The photo showed a man with glasses, messy hair, and tired eyes. His résumé showed that he had graduated with outstanding grades from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Electrical Engineering, but he had never found success after joining Hydra. In his most recent mission report, his supervisor had written, "Engineer Sanders lacks team spirit and is excessively obsessed with impractical technical fantasies."

Lin Xiao wrote down the name in his notebook and marked it "Approachable."

The second name.

Lena Walker, intelligence analyst, twenty-eight years old. Specialty: data mining and pattern recognition. Recent evaluation: excellent work performance, but withdrawn personality and refusal to participate in departmental social activities. Notes: accurately predicted three enemy operations, but none of her recommendations were adopted.

The woman in the file photo had long dark brown hair and a cold expression. Her résumé was spotless—a PhD in mathematics from the University of Chicago, recruited directly by Hydra after graduation. Yet during the past six months of evaluations, her "Teamwork Ability" had repeatedly been rated "Unqualified."

Lin Xiao wrote her name down.

The third name.

Marcus Reed, captain of Security Team Three, thirty-five years old. Specialty: close-quarters combat, squad command. Recent evaluation: loyal and dependable, but repeatedly questioned superior orders. Notes: during last night's laboratory incident, his squad suffered the lowest casualty rate, but he refused to carry out the "indiscriminate purification" order.

The man in the photo had a square face and resolute eyes. His record showed ten years of special forces service before joining Hydra three years ago. In last night's operation report, he had written, "When we cannot distinguish friend from foe, blind fire will only cause unnecessary casualties."

Lin Xiao drew two lines beneath this name.

He continued browsing.

Forty minutes later, eleven names had been written in his notebook. They covered technology, intelligence, combat, logistics, and other fields. These people all shared one trait—they were capable, but they had not been given the positions they deserved in this system.

Or rather, a system like Hydra did not need too many people who "had ideas."

It only needed obedience.

Lin Xiao closed the personnel files and opened "Surveillance Logs."

The second thing he needed to do was clean up the data.

Although last night's incident had ultimately been classified as "an accidental leak caused by a sample creature riot," too many details in the process could not withstand scrutiny. For example, why he had been able to find the purification system control room so precisely; why Su Ying and Wolf had survived in that area; why those sample creatures had collectively retreated at the final moment...

If headquarters investigators saw those details, they would raise unnecessary questions.

So they needed to be changed.

Lin Xiao pulled up surveillance records from the laboratory area between 21:00 and 23:00 last night.

Sixteen split-screen feeds appeared. Some were black—the cameras had been destroyed. Some were filled with static—signal interference. A few were barely visible, though their angles were limited.

He selected the recording from Camera Three, timestamped 21:47.

In the footage, Lin Xiao, Su Ying, and Wolf were running down a corridor. Ahead lay the sample cultivation area, while tentacled creatures pursued them from behind. Lin Xiao suddenly stopped and pointed at a door on the left.

The subtitle read: [Target individual points toward unknown area]

Lin Xiao clicked the edit button.

He deleted the line and entered: [Target individual discovers emergency passage marker and directs team members to evacuate]

Saved.

The next recording was at 22:15.

The corridor outside the purification system control room. Lin Xiao was operating the access panel while Su Ying and Wolf stood guard on either side. The panel lights flashed, but the footage did not clearly show the specific steps he took.

The subtitle read: [Target individual attempts to crack access control system, method unknown]

Lin Xiao changed it to: [Target individual uses standard emergency code B-7 to open access control, in accordance with safety regulations]

Saved.

One frame at a time, he edited the footage.

He changed "abnormal" into "normal," "unknown" into "known," and "coincidence" into "plan."

Two hours later, every surveillance record of last night's laboratory incident had become a perfect accident response report—an accidental sample leak, a well-trained team successfully bringing the situation under control according to standard emergency procedures. No doubts. No anomalies.

At least, that was how it appeared in the database.

Lin Xiao closed the surveillance logs and rubbed his temples. His eyes were somewhat dry. The screen light was too harsh.

He rose and walked to the window. It was already past ten in the morning, and people moved back and forth through the base courtyard. Soldiers drilled, technicians transported equipment, and repair crews continued fixing the damage from last night. Everything looked orderly, as though last night's life-or-death crisis had never occurred.

But Lin Xiao knew that some things had already changed.

He returned to his desk and activated the communicator.

"Grey Falcon, come to my office."

Five minutes later, Grey Falcon pushed open the door.

"Sir."

Lin Xiao pushed his notebook toward him and opened it to the page containing the names.

"I want detailed information on these eleven people. Family backgrounds, financial circumstances, personal relationships, recent movements. The more detailed, the better."

Grey Falcon took the notebook, his thick fingers moving across the page.

"When do you need it?"

"By tomorrow afternoon," Lin Xiao said. "Also, prepare a batch of supplies—high-quality individual rations, medical kits, spare communication equipment parts. Prepare enough for fifteen people. Store them separately. Do not register them in the base's main warehouse."

Grey Falcon looked up at Lin Xiao. There was a question in his eyes, but he did not ask it.

"Understood," he said.

"One more thing." Lin Xiao took an envelope from the drawer. It contained a thick stack of cash. "This is operating money. When approaching those people, spend what needs to be spent. But remember, this is not bribery. It is... investment."

Grey Falcon took the envelope and weighed it in his hand.

"Investment?" he repeated.

"Yes," Lin Xiao said. "Investing in their 'hope for the future.'"

Grey Falcon was silent for several seconds, then nodded.

"I understand."

He turned and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

Lin Xiao sat back down. The sunlight in the office had shifted into the corner, its gold becoming a softer warmth. The scent of paint in the air had faded somewhat, replaced by the mixed smell of paper and electronic equipment.

He opened the data terminal and began writing the team's first weekly report.

At two in the afternoon, the meeting began on schedule.

The five people sat around the conference table again. Work records lay before each of them—Su Ying's draft training plan, Wolf's communications network topology map, Nightingale's vulnerability scan report, Grey Falcon's supply list, and Anna's technical archive directory.

After listening to everyone's report, Lin Xiao nodded.

"The progress is acceptable," he said. "But Nightingale, what is this backdoor on Server Three mentioned in your vulnerability report?"

Nightingale pulled up data on her tablet.

"It is a leftover issue from an old version of the firewall," she said. "The system was installed three years ago and has never been updated. In theory, anyone with intermediate hacking skills could use that backdoor to gain server access. I have blocked it temporarily, but I recommend replacing the system completely."

"Write a formal report and submit it to the technical department," Lin Xiao said. "Use the name of the Deputy Security Supervisor and set the priority to 'High.'"

"Understood."

"Wolf, how are the signal test results for your independent network?"

Wolf adjusted his glasses.

"Internal base coverage has reached ninety-two percent. There are seven blind spots within the five-kilometer external range, all caused by terrain obstruction. The current encryption level is A-grade. In theory, it can withstand twenty-four hours of continuous attacks from standard S.H.I.E.L.D. decryption equipment. But if they deploy higher-level resources..."

"Then upgrade it to AA-grade," Lin Xiao cut in. "If you do not have enough equipment, have Grey Falcon get it. Money is not a problem."

Wolf nodded.

Lin Xiao turned his gaze to Su Ying.

"I reviewed the training plan," he said. "The close-combat and weapons-use sections are fine, but for team tactical drills, you only arranged basic squad coordination. I need more complex scenarios—hostage rescues, building clearing, nighttime infiltration, and confrontation with extraordinary threats."

Su Ying frowned.

"Extraordinary threats? Such as?"

"Creatures far faster than humans, enemies capable of invisibility, people with mind-control abilities," Lin Xiao said calmly. "This world has more than guns and fists, Su Ying. What we may face could be anything beyond common sense."

The room fell silent for a moment.

The light from the screen reflected off Wolf's glasses. Nightingale's finger stopped moving across her tablet. Grey Falcon's expression turned grave, and Anna gripped her pen.

Only Su Ying had a glimmer flash through her eyes—not fear, but excitement.

"I'll revise the plan," she said.

"Good." Lin Xiao leaned back, lightly tapping his fingers against the table. "Now, let's talk about something else."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across every face.

"Why are you here?"

The question came suddenly.

"Nightingale" blinked. "Because you recruited me?"

"That was the process, not the reason," Lin Xiao said. "What I'm asking is why you chose to stay, why you chose to follow me and work with this team."

Silence.

Grey Falcon spoke first, his voice rough. "I worked in logistics for eight years. Every day was inventorying supplies, assigning vehicles, writing reports. Boring. Here... at least there's something to do."

Wolf adjusted his glasses. "Ninety percent of the time in Hydra's technical department was spent maintaining outdated systems. Only ten percent involved anything new. The tasks you give me are challenging."

Anna's voice was very soft. "I... I wanted to do something useful. In the lab, I watched those samples and those experiments every day, but I couldn't save anyone. Here, at least I can help living people."

Nightingale smiled. "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s network defenses are practically made of paper, and Hydra's aren't much better. Your team lets me play however I want without having to write a self-criticism report. Is that reason enough?"

Last was Su Ying.

She looked at Lin Xiao directly, her gaze steady and unflinching.

"I've met too many people," she said. "High-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. officials, Hydra officers, mercenary leaders... They were either full of righteous rhetoric while being selfish underneath, or openly pursued power. You're different. In the lab, you could have escaped by yourself, but you turned back to save us. At the meeting, you could have claimed all the credit, but you shared it with everyone. I don't know what you ultimately want to do, but at least for now, what you're doing is what a person ought to do."

Lin Xiao listened without any expression on his face.

A few seconds later, he spoke.

"Everything you said is right, but also wrong." His voice was calm, yet every word was clear. "You stayed because this place has what you want—challenge, meaning, respect, or simply an environment that feels 'human.' But I need to tell you that those things are only the beginning."

He stood and walked to the window. The afternoon sunlight slanted in, stretching his shadow long across the floor.

"Hydra's slogan is 'Cut off one head, and two more shall take its place.'" With his back to the others, Lin Xiao's voice echoed through the room. "But its past path has been filled with bloodshed, terror, and narrow-minded racism. It wants to control the world, but its methods are to create chaos, incite hatred, and provoke wars. That path is doomed to fail."

He turned around, his gaze blazing.

"We need a 'new order,'" he said. "An order founded on reason, efficiency, and true control over the world—not its destruction. We need to become guardians in the shadows, not butchers in the spotlight."

The room fell deathly silent.

Dust drifted slowly through the sunlight.

"This world is changing," Lin Xiao continued. "Super-soldiers, alien technology, mysterious powers... The old structures of power are collapsing. S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to maintain a superficial peace, but it has long since rotted from within. Hydra wants to rise amid the chaos, but its ideals have long been twisted. And we..."

He returned to the conference table and braced both hands against its surface.

"We can become a third force." His voice was low, but brimming with strength. "We act in the shadows, establish order amid chaos, and crush crises before they arrive. We do not seek to rule the world. We will protect it—in our way, through reason, through methods that truly work."

He looked at each of them.

Su Ying's gaze deepened, as if she were weighing the gravity of his words.

Behind Wolf's lenses, his perpetually half-lidded eyes were now fully open.

The scar on Grey Falcon's face seemed deeper in the light.

Anna's fingers tightened around her pen until her knuckles turned white.

And Nightingale—

Her eyes shone, and the corners of her lips curled upward, as though she had discovered the most interesting secret in the world.

She murmured to herself, so softly it was almost inaudible, yet in the silent room every word could be heard clearly:

"Sounds... a lot more interesting than S.H.I.E.L.D.'s bureaucracy and Hydra's madness."

Lin Xiao heard her.

He did not respond. He merely looked out the window.

In the base courtyard, soldiers were still training, their chants faintly carrying over.

In the distant sky, clouds were gathering. It might rain soon.

And in this small office, a seed had already been planted.

It would take root in rotten soil, grow in the shadows, and one day break through the earth.